Loyalty, Above All Else
by Mistress Kizuna
Summary: Hetalia/Captain America X-Over. There is one person Alfred "America" Jones calls his hero.


**Disclaimer:**I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia, or any of the characters mentioned in this story. APH is the property of Hidekaz Himaruya and Captain America and the others belong to Marvel.

For a while, I had the thought of doing a fic starring U.S. and Captain America floating in my head, because the potential was so great, plus I'm just a nerd at heart. I really think the anthropomorphic personification of the U.S. and Captain America, the greatest American hero ever, would have some very interesting interactions. I'm going to be switching between the America and Alfred names here and there.

Enough rambling! On to the story!

* * *

The first time Alfred "America" Jones met Steve Rogers was in 1942, almost immediately after the United States declared it would enter the Second World War. Steve was a regular kid then, a skinny, slightly sickly young man, but like a true American, he wasn't going to let that get in the way of trying to fulfill his dreams of becoming a hero to his nation.

Unfortunately, Steve's ailments made it diffucult for him to find anyone willing to hire him, as he was deemed physically unfit for service. And then, as if by chance, a military scientist who saw just how much Steve genuinely wanted to serve his country came up to him and offered him a rare opportunity.

An opportunity called the Super Soldier Program.

The aim of this project was to hopefully create a human weapon that represented the very peak of human potential. It the experiment was successful, Steve would be imbued with great strength and agility, cured off all of his physical limitations. If it wasn't, well, there was no predicting what could go wrong.

America himself didn't know why anyone would honestly think this was a good idea. But Steve had volunteered for the procedure, willing to serve his country by any means. Alfred had to admire that in a man, especially one who would die for _him_.

"So who are you anyway?" Steve asked him. He had seen this kid almost everywhere these days. He seemed to hang out with the big boys - political leaders, the top military heads and other sorts of guys who lived at the highest level of the social structures. With his blonde hair, bright blue eyes and well-formed physique, this kid could very well have looked like him, although he was more of a boyishly cute kid rather than a chiseled older man. But at the same time, he gave off an incredible air about himself - something pure and powerful that Steve never saw before.

Alfred's answer was simple: "I'm like you - I'm an American and I'm going to be the greatest hero ever!"

Steve laughed, "You sure are something. My name is Steve. Steve Rogers. What about you?"

"The name is Alfred F. Jones! I'm going to be piloting over the Pacific and take out the Japs!" Alfred excitedly exclaimed. He was more than ready to give the Axis Powers, especially Kiku "Japan" Honda, a piece of his mind. Alfred, at the time, was putting his all into the war effort as well by doing what he did best - piloting. Alfred loved flying ever since the Wright brothers' designs for a flying craft became an invaluable tool for warfare. That feeling of being able to reach high above the heavens gave him a feeling of excitement that couldn't be matched.

Steve smiled and asked, "Are you also a volunteer for the project?"

Alfred twitched slightly and replied, "No, I'm not. I'm simply a witness." He then had to ask, "Steve, are you sure about this?" He was genuinely worried for Steve, as this experiment could easily kill him... Or worse.

"Yes, I absolutely am," Steve answered, unflinchingly and very sure of his decision. "I've always wanted to serve my country, and this is my perfect opportunity to be strong enough to do it!"

Alfred looked down at the white and grey checkered floor. He then said, "Look, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Alfred took a breath and began, "Well..." He swallowed back the lump in his throat; telling anyone about his true nature was always difficult.

But before he could spit it out, the head doctor came in. "Mister Rogers, it's time."

Steve got up and patted Alfred on the shoulder, telling him, "Don't worry, Al. You can tell me after this."

As he quietly watched Steve leave the room, Alfred slumped against a nearby chair. He prayed and hoped this would work. From what he read about the young man in his files and from their brief conversation, America could see that Steve Rogers was a good man, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing someone like that to this unnatural experiment.

* * *

The experiment was a success. Skinny Steve Rogers was now a powerful, fast, wonder-man. Alfred looked on with awe and amazement. Steve was like a real-life superhero now.

But one thing did go wrong. The head scientist for the project was shot by a saboteur, and to complicate things, that man was the one and only person who knew the formula. Thus, Steve was the first and quite possibly, the last and only super soldier there was. Despite their grief, everyone was still trying to move forward.

"So how does it feel?" Alfred asked, marveling over Steve's almost instantaneous makeover.

Steve thought about his answer for a moment before he gave his simple, to-the-point answer, "It feels amazing."

Alfred smiled. He was glad at least that Steve liked his new enhancements.

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me before I left, Alfred?"

Alfred, not knowing what to say, decided to tell a half-truth. "I was going to say that I liked you just the way you were. But after seeing you like this, well, I'm happy for you, Steve."

"Gee, thanks a lot. That really means a lot to me," Steve beamed. Alfred pulled him into a friendly hug, and they gave each other a hearty pat on the back to wish the other well later in his life.

"Good luck to you, Jones. Do this nation proud."

"And I hope all the best for you, Rogers," he replied back. Alfred couldn't bring himself to tell Steve about his true nature, as the embodiment of the United States of America. At least, not now anyway. He decided that maybe he would put it off for a while.

The next day, they had to part ways – America had to go back to the Pacific Islands in order to weaken Japan's imperialistic hold over them, while Steve had to undergo a little more training to make sure there weren't any problems with the Super Soldier Serum. To enforce Steve's new status as a near perfect human being and an American soldier, he was christened with the name "Captain America." Alfred loved that name – it was patriotic and truly a force to be reckoned with.

As Alfred flew over the Pacific, getting ready to make a parachute jump into hostile territory, he contemplated whether he could take up some kind of superhero identity; though he was certain Arthur would call that another one of his idiotic childish fantasies.

In time, the Allies won the war. Thanks to the efforts of Captain America, Germany and Italy finally surrendered. Alfred wished the same noble things could have been said for what happened in Japan. The atomic bombs brought a level of destruction and death he hoped to never see again. He wanted to be a hero: a noble, honorable, upstanding figure that everyone would love and admire. But now, America wasn't quite sure if that would be possible. Not for a long time.

* * *

It was 1954.

When America heard of what had happened, he felt truly sad for the first time in a long time. It was during a mission where Captain America and his sidekick, a young man called James Barnes (also known as "Bucky") made a last ditch effort to dismantle a bomb aboard an experimental drone plane being piloted by a former Nazi scientist called "Baron Zemo." Captain America's sidekick tried to diffuse the bomb, but it exploded mid-air. Bucky was killed, while Captain America was thrown into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Though his body was never found, Steve too was pronounced dead.

Alfred now wished with all his heart that he had told Steve what he really was that day. In a way, Alfred loved the Captain. He never thought that he could ever admire another person the way he admired Captain America. But he did – Steve symbolized everything America loved.

He just wanted to see Steve one more time, just to tell him.

* * *

Decades later, a startling discovery was made in the Arctic Ocean.

A man's body was found, perfectly preserved and frozen in a block of ice.

More amazing yet was that the body was Captain America's. He hadn't aged a day, and could likely be revived with the proper treatment.

Alfred saw this as a second chance; a chance to make things right. He had to tell Steve, his hero, what he had been keeping bottleed up inside for so long.

When Steve saw _him_ again, he couldn't believe his eyes. His first thought was that this visitor coming to see him in the hospital was Alfred Jones' son or something, but somehow, Steve knew that he wasn't. While everything else had changed in the years he had been frozen, one thing hadn't.

"Just what the hell are you?!" Steve asked in shock. There was no way Alfred could have gone all these years without looking a day older.

Alfred, who was carrying a large bouquet of flowers, sheepishly replied, "Well, Captain America, that's what I'm going to answer. You remember the last time we saw each other, when you were doing the project?" Steve silently nodded. "Well, I was going to tell you something, but I didn't tell the truth."

"Would you just cut to chase already?"

Alfred sighed and answered, "I am America."

The look on Steve's face was priceless – a mixture of shock, disbelief and a bit of humor, as annoyed as it looked. "Come on now, don't kid around with me."

"I'm not kidding, Steve Rogers," America said resolutely. "I am this country, "born" around the late 1490s or early 1500s, when explorers began to colonize the lands. There are others as well. Arthur – who is to England what I am to America – calls us "anthropomorphic personifications," but to be honest, I think he's just full of it."

"Wait a minute!" Steve exclaimed. "If you're the personification of this country, then what is your job?"

"Well, I work with political leaders to ensure things will run smooth and stay stable. I've been doing an alright job so far, wouldn't you agree?"

Steve looked on in amazement. "Man, when I said that I would do whatever it took to serve my country, I never thought I'd mean it like this."

America smiled. "Well, there's no need to feel guilty, Cap."

"Why?" It was obvious that Steve was still guilty over what had happened to Bucky, as well as the fact that so many things had changed in the time when he had been frozen.

"Because you're brave, honorable, noble to the end, and the world needs you now more than ever. America needs you. _I_ need you."

Steve smiled. "Thank you, America." He had a reson to keep going on. A friend in need was a friend indeed.

* * *

Captain America was the world's greatest superhero. The star leader of The Avengers and a loyal and dedicated friend to the end, he became the posterboy for The American Dream. America was so proud of his captain, and couldn't find it in himself to be jealous, even though he often called himself "the world's hero." He was like the other little kids, with their Captain America T-shirts and other merchandise, cheering their hero on.

Alfred loved him. It wasn't just heroic worship; it was true love. His admiration of the super-soldier went beyond just pride for Captain America's status as the crusader of truth, justice and the American way. He loved Steve "Captain America" Rogers, plain and simple as that.

And in a weird sort of way, Steve loved Alfred back. Not just as the personification of the country that he dutifully loved and served, but also as a person. Sure, Alfred was rather loud, pushy, arrogant, and had less of a clue, but at the same time, Alfred was truly one of the nicest guys Steve ever met, with a sense of justice that ran second to none, and a great capacity for love. Steve would have given his to protect Alfred, the embodiment of the dream.

It wasn't a mistake that this happened. It couldn't even be described as "one thing lead to another." It simply happened.

It was one day, when America was sent on an errand for the government. Since they were sponsoring the Avengers, or at least relying on them, they needed to keep relations good, since the group was essentially a band of vigilantes that worked outside the established law. Apparently America's bosses decided that since he actually had personally known Captain America years before, he would be the best candidate over many others to speak with and maintain relations with the superhero community.

"Who is that at the front door?" Tony "Iron Man" Stark asked when he saw the young man standing at the front of the Avengers' headquarters on the security camera.

Steve saw the figure on the video linked to the security camera at the front entrance, immediately recognizing him. "It's someone I know. I promised to meet up with him."

"Who exactly is he?" Tony pressed. He wasn't exactly trusting of strangers.

Steve really couldn't quite find a good way to answer Tony's question, especially since the truth would only make everyone think Steve had lost his mind. So he decided to use a little half-truth. "He's a government employee named Alfred Jones. He's young but he does a good job. He's here to speak with and maintain relationships between us and the government."

Tony had plenty of good reasons to be skeptical of Steve's answer. This Jones character looked no older than twenty, maybe even younger. No one that young could be serving the government, but then again, Tony had seen weirder things ever since taking up the mantle as a superhero. Besides, Jones could've possibly been a prodigy. Or something like that. Whatever the reason was, Tony knew Steve could take good care of himself, so Steve went to meet the boy.

Steve, wearing simple civilian clothes, ran over to Alfred, who was wearing a fairly casual suit. His usually messy hair was actually neatly combed, and he looked rather professional, as opposed to his more relaxed way of dressing.

"Well, Steve, I believe it's time to get down to business," Alfred said in a surprisingly serious tone.

And the day went off without a hitch. They spoke about politics, the new policies the government might possibly take concerning certain menaces and even life experiences in general. Alfred, for his happy-go-lucky personality, was a lot smarter than Arthur or many others would give him credit for. Steve eagerly listened to Alfred's account of his life as the embodiment of the United States.

Right now, the two of them were in Alfred's hotel room, a nice little suite he was staying in for the duration he'd be here in town, but it wasn't anything too elaborate. Which was what Steve needed right now. He and Alfred were drinking and continuing to converse, which was now all about funny stories and jokes. Suddenly, Alfred asked, "You want to know something?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Sure. What is it?"

"You're not going to believe this, but ever since you became known as Captain America, I just had the biggest case of hero worship for you. The guys might have loved their pin-up girls, but I was more about you," Alfred flat-out admitted.

Steve was taken aback at this. He still had trouble adjusting to some of the developments in this new time period, and yet, he too couldn't deny the feeling. He raised an eyebrow, asking, "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Why would the embodiment of a country be interested in me?"

"For many reasons."

"You're still a country," Steve insisted. He was well aware of the charged energy in the atmosphere, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not.

"So?" Alfred shrugged. "A country is a landmass defined by subjective lines. I'm every bit as human as you, Steve," said Alfred, as one of his nails dug into the palm of his hand, hard enough to draw blood.

Steve, being the good guy that he was, took a tissue and grabbed Alfred's hand, dabbing the blood out. This flirtation was dangerous, but it was happening so fast. And then, Alfred's free hand ran through Steve's hair, as his lips moved closer and closer until they brushed against Steve's with a bit of caution at first, knowing he was dangerously close to playing with fire. But when Steve moved in, returning the feeling, it was sealed.

The kisses started out rather unsure at first, but soon enough, they increased in hunger, in desire and it wasn't long before things evolved from there.

They didn't stop; they _couldn't_ stop.

They were too far into this. There was no turning back. They crossed the line, but it didn't matter to them. All that mattered was that, right now, they were wrapped in each other's arms, kissing passionately, expressing their shared love for each other.

The next morning, there was nothing to indicate what they had just done. It was a quiet happening only they would know of, though it certainly wasn't the only or last time this would happen.

Even if saying "I love my country" would take on a whole new (and weird) dimension for Captain America for a long time, he couldn't bring himself to care about that.

* * *

Disaster struck, and obviously enough, the government had to respond in some way.

A superhero group called the New Warriors got in a fight with several fugitive supervillains (including one called Nitro) in the middle of a suburban housing development in Connecticut. Nitro exhibited power beyond any he had ever shown before (which was discovered to have been caused by secret drug treatments provided by Walter Declun, an executive of the company Damage Control) and exploded, killing all of the New Warriors, (except Speedball), the other fugitives, and 600 civilians, including sixty children from a nearby elementary school.

The incident sparked a fury of anti-super sentiment and in the wake of the tragedy, Congress decided they had to act to control the supers. The Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA) was passed. The rules applying to the SHRA were as followed: mandatory registration of all superpowered individuals (whether active as superheroes or not), mandatory registration of all costumed crimefighters (whether superpowered or not), all crimefighting and lifesaving activity by non-registered heroes was illegal, all registered heroes had to attend, and pass, mandatory government training, and lastly, all registered heroes were potentially liable to being called up into active government service, at the government's discretion, without the option of refusal.

Captain America refused to support this law, feeling that it would just make criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens. In contrast, his closest friend and comrade in The Avengers, Iron Man, supported the law. Meanwhile, the X-Men and most of the mutant community shut themselves out of it. This, along with other factors from the past, became aggravated to the point that the debate over the Registration Act escalated into a full-scale civil war within the superhero community.

America didn't support this. He didn't see a reason for the SHRA. If anything, he was certain it would only make things worse. But he had been wrong before, hadn't he? _Maybe_ it would make things better. Whatever the case was, America still had to go along with it; he didn't have much of a choice.

Captain America begged Alfred to reconsider. "Don't you think that it's unjust? Don't you have any authority in this? Any say in the matter? You know that no one could've predicted that tragedy!"

Alfred ran a hand over his forehead, trying to soothe an oncoming headache. He replied, "I don't like this law anymore than you do, Captain. But it's not my choice. I can only do what is supposed to be best for the American people." Alfred put his hands on the other man's shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I don't have much power in this. Please, try to understand," he implored.

Instead, Captain America felt betrayed. He looked at Alfred with disappointment, and Alfred swore he saw tears welling in Steve's eyes. Alfred attempted to comfort the Captain, tried to hug him, do something, _anything_ to ease his friend's dejected soul, but was instead met with Steve swatting his hands away, and turning around, not saying a word.

Alfred felt his heart sink. He had to put up a strong face, but it was only getting harder, as this "civil war" continued to get worse with each passing day.

* * *

It was over. The Superhero Registration Act Civil War was finally over, but at a heavy cost.

Captain America battled against the man who had once been his best friend, Iron Man, and would have won had it not been for a group of civilians attempting to restrain him. Realizing that he was endangering the very people he had sworn to protect, Captain America surrendered to the authorities and ordered the other anti-Registration forces to stand down. Tony Stark and the pro-registration forces won.

And now, Steve Rogers was in prison, awaiting trial for the many criminal charges he was brought up on. When Alfred came to visit him, he was devastated. He had never seen the Captain look so empty, so defeated. Not since the days when he was still torn by guilt from Bucky's (apparent) demise.

Steve looked up. "So you came."

Alfred shrugged, "I did, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. We have to talk Steve."

"Of course we do," Steve spat, looking away.

Alfred was starting to feel annoyed by Steve's standoffishness. "Steve, I'm sorry, okay? I told you already, I did not like the Registration Act anymore than you did, but I had to support it anyway. I was doing my job; I was doing what was right for my people."

Steve laughed bitterly at this. "If you were doing what was right for the people, you would've rebelled against the Registration Act! What really hurts you is that I did the right thing by surrendering!"

"Don't you understand?!" Alfred asked. "Unlike you, or Iron Man, I had no choice! I had to go along with it! I've done things that I'll never be proud of, but I did them anyway because it was my job to do so. Steve, please, just try and put yourself in my position!"

Steve walked up to the bars, and reached between them, and took Alfred's shoulders. "Maybe that's the case with you," he harshly whispered. "But I don't regret what I've done. I made a vow to this country, and I've said this before, and I'll say it again now – I'm loyal to nothing, except for the Dream."

Alfred got up and said, "I'm sorry." He then turned away, not wanting the Captain to see the tears that were just starting to stream down his face.

Steve yelled over the bars, "What would you have done if you were in my shoes, America?! What would _you_ have done?!"

He tried to ignore the question, tried to shut out Steve's yelling. He didn't look back. He couldn't; he just felt too ashamed.

America knew the answer to that question, and he was certain Steve knew too.

* * *

The next day, when the trial was set to take place, the unthinkable happened.

Steve "Captain America" Rogers was killed.

The cause was a sniper's bullet to the head, along with a stomach wound caused by a point-blank shot from hypnotized SHIELD agent, Sharon Carter. Despite their best efforts to save him, Steve died shortly afterwards in the hospital.

Everyone was shaken by the assassination, but few more so than Iron Man, the recently revitalized Bucky Barnes, and Alfred Jones.

In the days before his body was to be embalmed for the funeral, everyone gathered to say their last, private goodbyes to Steve. America was among them. In the years that had gone by, the other Avengers eventually became more-or-less aware of Alfred's true nature. Sure, he spoke with them on occasions, but he didn't have a close relationship to the others as he did with Steve. But today, everyone was united by one thing – grief.

America couldn't help but listen in on Iron Man/Stark's goodbye.

"The good news is... Through all of this, I never had a drink! And if I didn't drink during this, I'm probably never going to..." he trailed off. "So there's that."

Alfred felt awful for eavesdropping, but he couldn't help himself; he needed to hear this.

Stark continued on; even with a closed door between them, America could hear the tears through the other man's voice. "To do what I needed to do to win this quickly, I knew that meant you and I would probably never speak again, or be friends again or partners again. I told myself that I was okay with it because I _knew_ I was right and I _knew_ it was saving lives."

Alfred began to feel as though he and Stark were on a similar wavelength now. They both upheld the law, and even though it wasn't fair, they both believed it was for the better. Maybe they were more alike than previously thought.

"It was!!" Stark persisted. "It _was_ the right thing to do! And I was willing to get in bed with people we despised to get this done. And I knew the world favors the underdog and I would be the bad guy. I knew this, and I said I was okay with it. And even though I said..." He blew his nose and took a couple deep breaths before continuing. "And even though I said that I was willing to go all the way with it... I wasn't."

Alfred felt a wave of nausea run over him. He shouldn't be listening to this.

"And... And I know this because the worst has happened," Stark was now freely sobbing at this point. "The thing I can't live with has happened. And for all our back and forth, and all the things we've said and done to each other, for all the questions I've had to ask and the terrible lies I've had to tell, there's one thing that I'll _never_ be able to tell _anyone_ now. Not my friends or my co-workers or my president... The one thing!! The _one _thing I should have told you. But now I can't..."

Stark then stammered through his choking and his sobbing, "It wasn't worth it."

America had enough at this point. He left for the bathroom, and found the nearest unoccupied toilet. He let his nausea go, and vomited whatever meager food he was able to stomach during these times. He got up, and looked at himself in the mirror, taking his full appearance in, and he hated what he saw. His eyes looked dull and lifeless and there were heavy bags under them brought on from a lack of sleep, and since he could hardly find it in him to eat anything when he was stressed like this, he also looked frighteningly thin as well. He slumped against the wall, not bothering to hear the rest of Tony Stark's speech, if there was any.

After some time passed, America felt that he was finally ready to say his goodbye to Steve. He walked into the room, where Steve's body was tenderly laid flat on a table, and he immediately had to keep himself from breaking down. Alfred had never seen Steve look so peaceful, except for those nights when they would get together again, and Alfred would just stay up and watch him sleep. Steve would be so serene, letting go of his worries and melting away into dreams.

But now, there would be no waking up for Steve. He was not breathing, he wasn't letting out some slight snore, he wasn't unintelligibly mumbling something from a dream. He was just laying there, completely still, completely silent.

A heavy stillness filled the room for a while, before Alfred fell to the floor, pounding his fist against it. He felt the white-hot tears sliding down his cheeks, as he choked out, "Why, Steve? Why?!"

Alfred grabbed onto Steve's hand; it was every bit as cold and frigid as it looked. He continued to weep into it before finding his voice again.

"If I were in your position, Steve, I would have done exactly what you did. I would've fought till my last breath for it, and I wouldn't care if the people saw me as a traitor because of it. But I don't hate you for surrendering. I could never, _ever_ hate you, Captain. Sure, I might call myself "the world's hero" sometimes, and yeah, I have more than three-hundred years on you, but you, Captain America, you were – no, you _are_ a true hero. You are _my_ hero. And I love you!"

Alfred was yelling and crying at the same time, "And that's the truth! I wanted to, and have done good things, but sometimes, they weren't always of _my_ own accord. You deserve the name America more than I ever have and ever will, Captain! You _are_ the American Dream! You _are_ the greatest hero ever! Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will _ever_ come close to you, Steve! And I mean every word of that! _Every single word!!"_

After his impassioned speech, Alfred took a moment to catch his breath before he choked, "I'm sorry... I'm just so sorry." Guilt, shame and a myriad of other emotions flooded Alfred as his tears fell onto the cold, hard floors. Today, America lost more than just a hero – he lost a symbol, a friend, and a loved one. But most of all, he lost someone who would have loyally done anything for him. Steve's loyalty could never be replaced by anyone or anything, ever.

* * *

A week later, Captain America was given a public funeral with a monument built in his honor in Arlington National Cemetery. His body in the meantime was returned to the Arctic where he had been found years before. Tony Stark, accompanied by Hank Pym and Janet "The Wasp" Van Dyne, laid it to rest there. Namor also attended the small private ceremony and vowed that no one would disturb the site as long as he ruled the seas. Janet then asked whether everyone must now accept that the old era was finally over and a new one was beginning. No one had an answer.

The whole world in fact had joined in mourning the hero. Support poured in from everywhere, as other nations gave their heartfelt apologies to America for his loss. Germany, of all of them, summed it up best: Captain America was a beacon of hope and light in a world that only became darker and crueler with time, and his senseless death destroyed that hope forever.

Shortly afterwards, Tony Stark received a letter containing Steve Rogers' final requests. In the letter, Steve told Tony that he had to "save" Bucky, and that, despite his demise, the world still needed Captain America. Bucky, after a great deal of convincing, eventually accepted the offer to take on the mantle of Captain America on the condition that he get complete independence from Stark. Bucky kept Steve's trademark shield, but donned a new costume and also carried a pistol and a knife. And even though Bucky did a pretty good job at filling out Steve's shoes, and even as Alfred and Bucky deepened their own newfound friendship following these events, he still wasn't truly Captain America. Bucky was painfully aware of this, but he soldiered through it, determined to make his old friend proud.

Alfred also received a posthumous letter from Steve, telling him that he was forgiven, as Steve understood Alfred better than he previously thought. He told Alfred that it was never too late to be a hero, and that, in spite of everything, he still continued to love him, and did not regret dedicating his life to protecting the ideas America embodied. Steve encouraged to continue being himself and to continue to help the superhero community. Much to America's shock, the rest of the world was also passing their own Registration Laws; he prayed that they wouldn't end in disaster like his own did.

On the first anniversary of Captain America's death, all of the electronic equipment in the world had shut down for exactly sixty seconds. Sources later gathered that it was the work of the Norse god/superhero Thor, who had spoken to Steve Rogers' spirit, and granted him a moment of silence. The world was truly never the same again after the death of Captain America.

And yet, America knew deep in his heart that he and the Captain would see each other again, whether it was in this life, or the next. Because he knew that loyalty, above all else, never died.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm essentially giving my secret identity away and saying that yeah, I wrote this for the Hetalia Kink Meme. The original request said to make this cracky, but Marvel universe isn't particularly easy for crack (unless it's called Squirrel Girl). So, I took this a little more seriously than I probably should have.

To really get myself in the game of characterizing Cap, I had to read the old stuff, which mostly came from "The Essential Captain America." I tried not to make Steve act like his Ultimates counterpart in this story, who was more of a hot-tempered jerk than anything else. I also had to force myself to reread the Civil War stories, as well as The Death of Captain America arc, which was brutal, since the Civil War was full of plot holes, and "Death" made me weep like a baby for almost an hour.

By and large, I think Alfred would also start up a somewhat closer relationship with Iron Man in those events, since they both supported the law (or went along with it, at least). But their ties to Steve may kinda get in the way... He'd definitely got along better with Bucky.

I am thinking about possibly writing a sequel to this once "Captain America: Reborn" comes out, and that depends on the story and other factors.

Like it? Hate it? Leave your opinions.


End file.
